World Ends With You hero spotted in Kingdom Hearts 3DS

Kingdom Hearts 3D to feature its first non-Final Fantasy character

A TGS 2011 hands-on demo of Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, or Kingdom Hearts 3D (get it?!) features the series’ first ever appearance of a non-Final Fantasy or Disney character. Oh, the geeky possibilities… Anyhoo, SiliconEra reports that Sora has a rooftop encounter with Neku Sakuraba, the cargo-shorted protagonist of one the DS’s finest original titles, The World Ends With You. Wow… Kingdom Hearts is already a 21-gun salute to two beloved franchises, but the notion of adding a third layer to the Squisney Multiverse has probably sent folks like me into all new fits of fandom.

Above: PICK ME, MICKEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!

Given that Kingdom Hearts and World Ends With You are both shepherded by Square-Enix’s Tetsuya Nomura, Neku’s appearance makes more than enough sense. However, this certainly opens up the floodgates of geeky opportunities for further fan service. How about characters from other Nomura games, such as Parasite Eve’s Aya Brea or Robo from Chrono Trigger?!

What about appearances from Dragon Quest or the Mana series?! Oh, and let’s not forget that in recent years Square-Enix has acquired companies like Taito and Eidos, putting the stars of Hitman Bubble Bobble, Sonic Blast Man, Hitman, and goddamned Tomb Raider completely (technically) within the realm of KH possibility! “Chip & Dale, I’d like you to meet Bub & Bob and Kane & Lynch!” Oh my goodness, I need to sit down...

Our team is currently at TGS getting a hands-on so expect a more thorough hands-on preview very soon. And I gotta ask: What characters do you hope to see in upcoming Kingdom Hearts games?